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Summary
Summary
Does anyone ever see us for who we really are? Jo Knowles's revelatory novel of interlocking stories peers behind the scrim as it follows nine teens and one teacher through a seemingly ordinary day.
Thanks to a bully in gym class, unpopular Nate suffers a broken finger--the middle one, splinted to flip off the world. It won't be the last time a middle finger is raised on this day. Dreamer Claire envisions herself sitting in an artsy café, filling a journal, but fate has other plans. One cheerleader dates a closeted basketball star; another questions just how, as a "big girl," she fits in. A group of boys scam drivers for beer money without remorse--or so it seems. Over the course of a single day, these voices and others speak loud and clear about the complex dance that is life in a small town. They resonate in a gritty and unflinching portrayal of a day like any other, with ordinary traumas, heartbreak, and revenge. But on any given day, the line where presentation and perception meet is a tenuous one, so hard to discern. Unless, of course, one looks a little closer--and reads between the lines.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Knowles's latest novel realistically depicts the intertwined lives of 12 individuals. From high school student to recently graduated new adult to teacher, these personal vignettes are achingly truthful and reveal the secrets and sorrows hidden behind everyday facades. As the stories unfold and the points of view begin to overlap, a complete picture begins to form. The message of the novel is divulged on the last page, bringing the book into tight focus and finally giving teens an "aha" moment. The short story format could tempt reluctant readers, and many young adults will see shadows of themselves in the well-drawn characters. Hand this one to fans of dramatic realistic fiction and those who enjoy slice-of-life novels.-Heather Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Ten interconnected stories set over the course of one day at a small-town high school reveal a well of despair and confusion among the nine students and one teacher whose lives are examined. Beginning with Nate Granger, a bullied freshman whose middle finger is broken by a basketball hurled like a weapon in gym class, each character either delivers or receives the obscene single-digit salute. Knowles (Living with Jackie Chan) catalogues their backstories and charts the way the lives of these cheerleaders, athletes, nerds, and stoners intersect, allowing readers to see a bigger picture than the characters themselves are able to do. The plot device of inserting a raised middle finger into each story wears thin after a while, but the idea of looking past an angry gesture to understand what led to it makes for an empathetic approach to understanding random hostility. Teens who read these stories will likely never see a raised middle finger again without wondering what the story is behind it. Ages 14-up. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
This is a glimpse into the lives of nine teens and one teacher on a seemingly ordinary school day in November. Each takes a turn telling a story: among the narrators are Nate, whose middle finger is in a splint after he breaks it in gym class; Stephen, who witnesses his father having a heart attack in a restaurant; Grace, whos struggling to convey an image of the perfect popular cheerleader; and Lacy, a fat girl who, in the books most shocking vignette, is sexually violated on a school bus. With each story, readers learn more about who the characters are -- their secrets, troubled family lives, crushes, and friendships -- and how they relate to one another. (Often, its through giving, or getting, the finger, a gesture that appears in each story with a variety of motivations and reactions.) Their voices are a reminder to look past simplistic stereotypes, appearances, and projections; in the best moments, as narrator Keith tells us, she sees the real me, and I am seeing the real herAnd by seeing each other that way, were seeing our true selves, too. While some perspectives are missing -- we never hear from Lacys two-dimensional-seeming attacker, for example -- these interconnected stories create a powerful, complex whole. rachel l. smith (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Over the span of one day, Knowles' novel offers glimpses into the intertwined lives of nine teens and one high school teacher. These days, "to read between the lines" means two very different things: One, with a gesture, is the ultimate insult, and the other is to garner more insight than is readily apparent. Here, both definitions fit. Each character either receives or "gives the finger," and each chapter provides a "between the lines" peek into the characters' lives, always revealing a disconnect between the realities of their lives and the ways in which they are perceived by others. First up is Nate Granger, a much-harassed high school freshman whose middle finger is broken by a bully during gym class. Nate is tormented by the fact that his mother died in a hit-and-run crash while on her way to pick him up at school and struggles to deal with his abusive and resentful father. While Nate is in the nurse's office, Claireanother student, and the next character to come into focuscomes in, feigning cramps, and is dismissed from school. Feeling her life and relationships superficial, Claire takes a bus into the city in search of a meaningful experience. The book proceeds, each new character entering, with his/her realities, dreams and secrets becoming another masterfully woven thread. With emotional explorations and dialogue so authentic, one might think Knowles isn't creating but channeling the adolescent mind. A fascinating study of misperceptions, consequences and the teen condition. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
One town, 10 interconnected stories. Bully-magnet Nate sets the tone for this collection after his gym class accident results in a broken middle finger, splinted upright. Meanwhile, other students at his high school deal with thoughts about the future, their relationships with one another, and family strain. A recent grad contemplates his narrowing future, and a teacher quietly brings everything together. All of the stories feature some encounter with that angry middle finger and, between the lines, are about the difficulties and the depth of human connections, and the fears and frustrations on any given, seemingly normal day. Issues of absent parents, conflicted sexuality, eating disorders, and various forms of abuse are dealt with succinctly but tenderly, and some nuances are subtle enough that multiple levels of reading are possible, with a twist at the end so understated you may miss it. This is likely to speak to any teenager in a stage of transition.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2015 Booklist